By Stephen Ubanna
Barely two days after Queen II, appointed 47 year-old Liz Truss, who was elected the Leader of the British ruling Conservative Party on Monday, September 5, 2022, as the British Prime Minister and first Lord of the Treasury, following the resignation of Boris Johnson, she passed on.
Recall that Truss had traveled to Balmoral Castle, in Scotland on Tuesday, September 6, 2022, to have her first meeting with the Monarch as the new British Prime Minister. She was said to have told the 96 year- old late British Monarch after the approval given to her to form the next government of her plan ‘’to take Britain out of the storm of economic crisis’’ ,pledging immediate action ‘’ to tackle a set of challenges of soaring energy bills, looming recessions and industrial strife’’.
The British prime minister, was said to have stated her three priorities: Tax cuts to boost the country’s economy, helping with rising energy costs and sorting out the state National Health Service. Unknown to her that was to be her first and last handshake and meeting with the long serving queen since coming to power on Tuesday, September 6, 2022.
Johnson, the immediate British Prime Minister was said to have also travelled to Scotland same day for a formal farewell from the 61st Monarch of the Commonwealth which her Majesty was said to have graciously accepted. Johnson was said to have alluded at the meeting with the queen that his government had got Brexit done and delivered the fastest vaccine fallout in Europe and that his policies had given the United Kingdom, UK, the economic strength to help Weather the country’s energy crisis. He may not have known like Truss, his successor, that the meeting with the queen would be the last.
On Thursday, September 8, 2022, she passed on. In announcing he death of the longest serving British Monarch, the Burkinham Palace reported that the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II had died at the age of 96. The Burkingham Palace in a Statement had said that ‘the 96 year-old Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully at Balmoral Castle, Scotland, Which was outside London’’.
Note that the Late Queen Elizabeth II, final public appearance before her death was during the Platinum Jubilee celebration in June , 2022, as the monarch had left behind 70 years on the British exalted throne. Until her death on Thursday, September 8, 2022, Palace officials had the queen was under ‘’medical supervision’’ at Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, where members of the royal family had rushed to her side after her health took a turn for the worse.
The unexpected death of the queen, popularly called as ‘’the rock on which modern Britain was built’’ may have devastated Truss, the new British Prime minister, who was just appointed by her to form the next government. A visibly shaken Truss, who is yet to recover from the shock had described her death as a big loss to the nation and to the world’’.
As a mark of great respect for the late queen Elizabeth II, the country’s Union Jack Flag atop the Prime minister’s Downing street residence was lowered to half- mast . Ms. Truss, the British Prime minister who could not hide her feelings had said that the impact of her death will be ‘’huge and unpredictable’’ both for the nation and the monarchy , institution she was said to have helped to stabilize and modernize across seven decades of huge social change and family scandals as her name defines an age: the modern Elizabethan era.
Prince Charles III, who had succeeded Queen Elizabeth 11, who incidentally was the mother had said that ‘’she made sacrifices for duty, noting that she had kept to her promise on her twenty- first birthday ‘’to devote her life , whether it be short or long , to the service of the UK and other Commonwealth member nations across the world where she was Head of state. Prince Charles II, had said that that his mother as Queen, ‘’served the people of many nations’’.
There is no gain saying the fact that the death of the British longest serving monarch have thrown the world into deep mourning as world Leaders including Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari pay tribute to the late British monarch. The Kastina state born Nigerian President had said he received with immense sadness the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II of the UK. The Nigerian President who had commiserated with the royal British family had said that her late majesty was the only British sovereign known to over 90 percent Nigerian population.
Buhari had aid that ‘’the story of modern Nigeria will ever be complete without a chapter on Queen Elizabeth II, a towering global personality and outstanding Leader’’, who was said to have dedicated her life to making her nation , the Commonwealth and the entire world a better place to live’’.
Recall that she had visited Nigeria on October 1, 1963, as the country which had become a sovereign state on October 1, 1960, practiced monarchical system of government where an individual who achieves his or position through heredity functions as the head of state. It was not surprising why she was the queen of England as well as Nigeria. She was said to have maintained a friendly relationship with the African most populous nation until her death on Thursday, September 8, 2022.
Joe Biden, the North American country of the United States, US, in his tribute to the late British Queen had described her as being ‘’more than a monarch’’, stating that ‘’she defined an era’’. He noted that in a world of change Queen Elizabeth II had been ‘’a steadying presence, a source of comfort and pride of generations of Britons, including many who have never known their country without her’’.
The US President was said to have also noted that the Queen being ‘’a statesman of unmatched dignity and constancy’’ had ‘’endured ‘’ dangers of deprivation s of world war alongside the British people and had allied them during the devastation of a global pandemic to look to better days ahead’’.
Emmanuel Macron, France’s President in his tribute was said to have painted a simple picture of the late Queen Elizabeth II on his Twitter account. President Macron had said that Queen Elizabeth II, ‘’embodied the British nation’s continuity and unity for over 70 years’’.
He may have gladdened the heart of the British people when he said: I remember her as a friend of France, a kin-hearted Queen who has left a long- lasting impression on her country and her century. Macron may have shocked the world when he revealed ‘’no foreign sovereign has climbed the stairs of the Elysee Palace more Queen Elizabeth II,, who had honoured France with six state visits and met each of its six Presidents. He averred that ‘’the Queen of sixteen kingdoms loves France and France loved her back’’.
Vladimi Putin, President of Russian Federation, who had declared a special military operation against neighbouring Ukraine, which was opposed by Johnson, former British Prime minister who has the backing of the late Queen was said to have also extended his condolences to King Charles III, for the ‘’irreparable loss of his mother, saying that she had ‘’rightfully enjoyed the Love and respects of the British people and the Commonwealth member nations as well as Authority at the world stage’’.
‘’I wish you courage and resilience in the face of this difficult, irreparable loss’’, he had told King Charles III III. President XI Jinping of People’s Republic of China, representing the Chinese government and the Chinese people had said in his condolence message to the royal family and people of Great Britain and the government, ha expressed his sincere sympathies to them’’ in a Statement.
Michael D.Higgins, Ireland’s President had described the late British monarch as ‘’a remarkable friend of Ireland’’, in his condolence message to the royal family, the British government and the people of Great Britain on the death of the second longest serving British Queen
. He noted that late Queen Elizabeth II, had ‘’served the British people with exceptional dignity’’ stressing that ‘’her personal commitmen to her role as a titular Head of state and extraordinary sense of duty were the hallmarks of her period as British Queen’’, which hold a unique place in the country’s history.
Justin Trudeau, Canada Prime minister, who could not his feelings had called the late Queen Elizabeth II, ‘’a constant presence in our lives’’ .He had said that his compatriots would always ‘’remember and cherish the late British Queen ‘s wisdom, compassion and warmth’’. The Asia country of India Prime minister, Narendra Modi, had said that late Queen Elizabeth II, would be rembered as ‘’a stalwart of our times’’ who had personified dignity and decency in public life.
Other world Leaders who were said to have expressed their condolence to the royal family, the British government of the people of Great Britain were Sheikh Hasina of Bangdesh, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Trukey, and Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand including Antonio Guterres, Secretarry General,, United Natios. UN . Also, PresidentsV olodymyr Zelenski of Ukraine and Ursula Vonder Leyen, Head of the European Commission, EU, and Cyril Ramaphosa, South African President and Chairman of African Union, AU, who were said to have been saddened by the British Queen’s death last Thursday, had said that her 70 years on the throne remains ‘’ a noble and virtuous example’’.
